Fear of Failure and a New Year!
by purplecup
Summary: Usui feels lonely, Ayuzawa feels insecure about her future, and it's a New Year! There should be happiness in the air! Both come clean as this story continues where chapter 82 left off.


So, I don't own anything related to Kaichou wa Maid sama. I'm supposed to say that right?

Here's what I think could have happened after chapter 82. :) Enjoy!

"Fine" she stated begrudgingly. She loved this young man - his taunting ways, his talents, his devotion, everything about him. He could drive her to complete insanity one moment, yet calm her every nerve the next - all with the slightest look or touch. There was no one like him to her and in that kiss she felt herself trying to convey all of those feelings. She loved him. That's why she had decided.

"But I'm not staying all night!" she returned, "SOME of us still have to study!". The blush crept deeper into her skin as she heard a soft chuckle from her fiancée that reverberated through her entire being. "Fine" he mimicked in her own begrudging tone. He stood up and offered his hand to the single most important person in his life, in his existence. A trickle of delight spread through him as she took his hand immediately, tugging on him just enough to pull herself up without entangling herself in her kimono. Had it been even 5 months ago, and he had offered any sort of assistance, Ayuzawa would have yelled at him for implying that she needed help, potentially hit him in some manner, and shot up all on her own, probably tripping over herself and breaking something in the process. Imagining this scenario brought a smirk to his lips which did not go unnoticed by Misaki.

"What are you smiling about?..."

"Ayuzawa took my hand."

"Only you would think that that's a big deal! I've held your hand before...it's not like it's anything new!" retorted Misaki in embarassment. What made him happier still was that she hadn't released his hand yet. He brought his other hand up to her face, watching the embarassed shock in her eyes, and drew his thumb across her cheekbone, resting his fingers just under her ear at her jawline. She felt his gentle hand pull her in ever so slightly as his eyes closed and his lips came to meet hers. That perfect pressure on her lips - just enough to make her dizzy. He pulled away just a little bit sooner than she would have liked and with her eyes still closed she heard, "_thank you_". He was saying "thank you" because she had shown some dependence on him, because she had agreed to put off her studying to spend time with him, and simply because she loved him. She knew all this and when she looked into his eyes she saw earnestness and sincerity. She loved those expressions of his the most.

"Then...soba time?" he asked? She just sighed and followed him to the kitchen area where the food he'd started earlier was probably close to finished by now. He went to the stove to check on the food while she sat down on a stool on the living room side of the kitchen's open-bar styled countertop.

"Hey Usui," she said while watching him portion out the food.

"Hmm?" He could faintly hear the sound of the temples' chimes welcoming in the new year.

"What if...what if I don't...get into a top university...?" Usui's hands stopped and he looked up from his work to make eye contact but Misaki was turned away, her back to him at a slight angle, looking outside the window.

"Then I will hire you as my personal maid."

After a brief silence, Usui let out a sigh, realizing this must be weighing very heavily on her mind for her to not have reacted immediately in some violent manner at his joke. "Ayuzawa," he started, "it still amazes me that your vision of yourself has never been accurate in the least. You doubt your capability and are unaware of your potential. You will be invited to attend multiple top universities - there is no reason that you shouldn't."

"But what if for some reason, *ahem* say, for example, a perverted alien forces me to spend all my time with him, causing me to neglect my studies, I don't get accepted...Usui...I...I have to be able to keep up! But what if I can't," He heard her voice catch, "and...and I get left behind? Sometimes, I feel like I keep running to catch up with you but you're too far away...and I can never reach you...and in that moment I feel like there is an insurmountable gap between us...I, I never feel so lonely...as I do in those moments..."

"I will never leave you behind, " he stated sternly. His statement was meant both to convince her as well as chastise her for thinking such things.

"What if I lose you, -" she whispered, turning back toward Usui. What he saw froze every muscle in his body and shattered his heart into a million fragile, broken fragments. Tears were silently trickling, one at a time, in a line from her glassy brown eyes all the way down her face and neck, she looked lost and helpless and utterly defeated. Usui's eyes went wide, his jaw dropping slightly, his body frozen in distress.

" - Takumi?"

It was barely audible, but as she finished her question Usui quickly closed the gap between them, crossing around the countertop, and wrapping his arms around her, he felt her body shake as her silent tears gave way to heart felt sobbing. He buried his head into her tear-moistened neck, whispering her name and sweet reassurances over and over to her. She had her arms threateningly tight around him, clenching fistfuls of his shirt in her white-knuckled hands. Misaki felt like she was holding on for dear life and that if at any second she were to let go, he would simply...disappear. The thought made her cry harder and she stood up from the stool in order to pull his body in even closer to hers. Any space left between them was absolutely unacceptable to her right now.

The two stood like that for what seemed like ages. Ayuzawa's sobbing slowed to soft, periodic gasps for air and Usui pulled away just enough in order to brush away her fears in each and every one of those teardrops. When she finally opened her reddened eyes, she struggled to lift her gaze up to meet her lover's and she saw, on his cheek, from his eye to his chin, what looked to be a glistening trail of where a tear had slid its way down. Usui felt her hand on his face, her fingers tracing the tear's path, their lips met together in a simple, gentle kiss, and they heard the final chime toll. It was a new year.


End file.
